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Should You Accept the Workers' Compensation Settlement Offer?

Summary:
Receiving your workers' compensation benefits is not always as simple as the system was initially designed to be.

Since this is a no-fault insurance plan, the insurance company knows
that regardless of how your injury occurred, if it happened on the job,
they are going to have to pay for your medical care. They may try and
alleviate this cost by offering a seemingly generous settlement.
However, until your medical condition has been deemed at maximum medical improvement and you are aware of the future financial repercussions of the injury, you should never accept any form of settlement before consulting with a qualified Missouri work injury lawyer.

The Role of the Insurance Adjustor

An
insurance adjustor's focus is on one thing - to minimize the financial
losses to the insurance company. They will typically work at this
reduction by offering a low ball settlement. For example, a roofer in
Missouri lost his footing on the scaffolding and fell, resulting in
multiple fractures over his entire body. The insurance company for the
roofing business was quick to jump in with an offer of $73,000, meant to
cover the initial medical costs and any incurred in the future. With
expert medical testimony, the attorney for the injured worker was able
to show how this was an unrealistic settlement considering the
permanency of many of the injuries. The testimony forced the insurance
company to settle for $350,000 and provide future medical care that
included surgery.

The Benefit of Expert Depositions

Many workers' compensation cases which are being disputed rely heavily on the testimony of medical experts
who have personal knowledge of your injury. This is the only way in
which to make your case a compelling one. While this is a no-fault
insurance, there is still certain criteria which needs to be met, and
the presence of an injury and its proven financial hardship it creates
for you is one of them. No one is better suited to testify to that than a
medical professional with years of experience.

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